Two former NHL stars are bringing the Stanley Cup to Manitoba Friday in honour of their father's birthplace.
Ken Dryden, the legendary goalie who won the cup with the Montreal Canadiens six times during their 1970s dynasty era, as well as his brother Dave, himself a former NHL goalie, are bringing the cup to Domain, Man., Friday.
Their father Murray was born and raised near Domain, a village located about 35 km south of Winnipeg, and Ken and Dave Dryden's cousins still farm the family property there.
The Hockey Hall of Fame allowed the Drydens to take the cup after Ken successfully lobbied the organization to allow former cup-winning players to tour it, much like the current champions do during the summer.
"That wasn't a tradition when I was playing, and it's such a great thing to do," Ken said. "It makes you think 'where would I go and who would I share it with?' There were fantasy places in my mind, but that's all they were going to be."
So he approached the Hockey Hall of Fame, and they eventually agreed.
One of the places he thought of was Domain.
"We heard all about Domain throughout our childhood and I've been there a few times," Ken said. "Some places are so small it's very unlikely someone's going to grow up there, play in the NHL and be on a teams that wins, so this is a way to get the cup there."
The Drydens said it is "an unbelievable coincidence" that they're taking the cup to Domain on what would have been their father Murray's 100th birthday. Murray, himself an Order of Canada recipient for his charity work, died in 2004.
On Saturday, the Drydens will take the cup to their own childhood home in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke. The home, which is now the headquarters of Sleeping Children Around the World, the charity founded by Murray Dryden and his wife Margaret, was often home to neighbourhood hockey games when Ken and Dave were boys. A reunion game is planned for Saturday, which will also see the cup travel to the local arena where Ken played community-level hockey for Humber Valley.
